IP Library Granted Patent US 10,327,077
Granted Patent B2
US 10,327,077 · App. 15/657,925 · Granted Jun 18, 2019

Microphone and manufacturing method thereof

Inventor: Ilseon Yoo (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
H04R19/04B81B3/0037H04R7/06H04R7/18H04R7/20H04R19/005B81B2201/0257B81B2203/0127H04R31/003H04R2201/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,327,077
App. No.
15/657,925
Granted
Jun 18, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microphone includes: a substrate configured to have a through hole formed at a central portion thereof; a vibration membrane disposed to cover the through hole on the substrate to include a slit pattern in which slit patterns are arranged in a plurality of lines along a circular edge thereof; a fixed membrane separately mounted at an upper portion of the vibration membrane with an air layer therebetween to have a plurality of air inlets that extend therebetween in a direction of the air layer; and a support layer configured to support the fixed membrane separately mounted on the vibration membrane.

Claims (29)

1. A microphone comprising:

a substrate configured to have a through hole formed at a central portion thereof;

a vibration membrane disposed to cover the through hole on the substrate to include a slit pattern in which slit patterns are arranged in a plurality of lines along a circular edge thereof;

a fixed membrane separately mounted at an upper portion of the vibration membrane with an air layer therebetween to have a plurality of air inlets that extend therebetween in a direction of the air layer;

a support layer configured to support the fixed membrane separately mounted on the vibration membrane; and

a pad configured to electrically connect each electrode to a semiconductor chip to measure electrostatic capacity in accordance with a change in distance between the fixed membrane and the vibration membrane.

2. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the slit patterns arranged in lines are cross-formed to cross each other in the slit pattern.

3. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the slit pattern is formed by etching minute slit patterns of a constant length and distance at an edge thereof to improve a vibration displacement of the vibration membrane.

4. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the slit pattern has a slit pattern angle for a length of each of the slit patterns from a central axis of the vibration membrane that is greater than an angle between the slit patterns for determining an arrayed angle of the slit patterns.

5. The microphone of claim 4 , wherein a distance between slit lines is greater than a slit width of the slit pattern in the slit pattern.

6. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the fixed membrane is formed to have a stacked structure in which an insulating layer, a fixed electrode, and a back plate are stacked, and a plurality of protrusions are formed at a lower portion of the insulating layer.

7. The microphone of claim 6 , wherein the fixed membrane includes, on the back plate: a first pad formed in a first contact hole for opening the fixed electrode to contact a fixed electrode; and

a second pad formed in a second contact hole for opening a vibration electrode of the vibration membrane to contact the vibration electrode.

8. A microphone manufacturing method comprising:

forming an oxide layer on a substrate;

forming a vibration membrane including a slit pattern in which slit patterns are arranged in a plurality of lines along a circular edge, at an upper portion of the oxide layer;

forming a sacrificial layer at an upper portion of the vibration membrane, and forming a fixed membrane including a plurality of air inlets at an upper portion of the sacrificial layer;

forming a through hole for inputting a sound source by etching a central portion of a rear surface of the substrate; and

removing the oxide layer of an upper portion of the through hole, and forming an air layer and a support layer by removing a central portion of the sacrificial layer through the air inlets.

9. The microphone manufacturing method of claim 8 , wherein the forming of the vibration membrane includes:

forming a vibration membrane of a conductive material on the oxide layer, and forming a photosensitive layer thereon; and

forming a photosensitive layer pattern for forming the slit patterns by exposing and developing the photosensitive layer, and forming the slit pattern by etching a portion of the vibration membrane by using the photosensitive layer pattern as a mask.

10. The microphone manufacturing method of claim 8 , wherein, in the forming of the sacrificial layer, the fixed membrane is formed by sequentially stacking an insulating layer, a fixed electrode, and a back plate at an upper portion of the sacrificial layer, and the air inlets that extend therethrough in a same pattern are formed by etching a sensing area of a central portion thereof.

11. The microphone manufacturing method of claim 8 , wherein the forming of the sacrificial layer includes:

patterning a plurality of concave dimples at a central portion of an upper portion of the sacrificial layer; and

forming a plurality of protrusions at a lower portion of the insulating layer by the dimples by stacking an insulating layer on the sacrificial layer.

12. The microphone manufacturing method of claim 11 , wherein the forming of the sacrificial layer includes: forming a fixed electrode at an upper portion of the insulating layer; and forming a via hole for exposing a conductive line of the vibration membrane by etching portions of the insulating layer and the sacrificial layer.

13. The microphone manufacturing method of claim 12 , wherein the forming of the sacrificial layer includes forming a first contact hole for opening a conductive line of the fixed electrode and a second contact hole for opening a conductive line of the vibration electrode by etching a portion of a back plate as an uppermost layer of the fixed membrane.

14. The microphone manufacturing method of claim 13 , wherein the forming of the sacrificial layer includes: patterning the first contact into a first pad to contact a conductive line of the fixed electrode; and patterning the second contact hole into a second pad to contact a conductive line of the vibration electrode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2017
From: YOO, ILSEON
To: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043081/0685 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0015151 · Feb 2, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180220240A1 · Aug 2, 2018
Cited By (5)
US 12,192,722 US 12,269,734 US 12,323,753 US 12,641,370 US 12,652,495